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In Love with Her Boss #3
The Boss's Secret Mistress
An affair just wasn't on her agenda!
Lucas Ryecart: driven, demanding, dynamic. Impossible to work with, but impossible to ignore!
Tory Lloyd: pretty plucky and puzzled. Lucas, the new CEO of her company, is determined to make her his mistress!
Together they make a great team, in the boardroom and in the bedroom. But Tory knows that it's only a matter of time before Lucas discovers her heartbreaking secret, and surely then he won't want her anymore...?
Lucas Ryecart: driven, demanding, dynamic. Impossible to work with, but impossible to ignore!
Tory Lloyd: pretty plucky and puzzled. Lucas, the new CEO of her company, is determined to make her his mistress!
Together they make a great team, in the boardroom and in the bedroom. But Tory knows that it's only a matter of time before Lucas discovers her heartbreaking secret, and surely then he won't want her anymore...?
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2001
9 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 16, 2020
Schizophrenia. A three star enjoyable story that gets derailed by the heroine and the hero. What to think!
It’s hard to believe that this was written by the same author as Tainted Love. There the heroine is strong, acerbic and smart. Here the heroine can hardly string together a sentence much less think around the hero. Time and time again she lets him, no encourages him, to think the worst of her. Example: she prefers to let him thing she’s living with her married but separated alcoholic boss who needs a place to stay rather than the truth. Just no sense at all.
The hero makes the story as he is charming, besotted and smart…up until the 99% mark. Shaking my head over how stupid he gets.
All in all a fun office romance, but the heroine detracts at times and as I mentioned there is the brain freeze the hero experiences at the end.
One more sad note and
It’s hard to believe that this was written by the same author as Tainted Love. There the heroine is strong, acerbic and smart. Here the heroine can hardly string together a sentence much less think around the hero. Time and time again she lets him, no encourages him, to think the worst of her. Example: she prefers to let him thing she’s living with her married but separated alcoholic boss who needs a place to stay rather than the truth. Just no sense at all.
The hero makes the story as he is charming, besotted and smart…up until the 99% mark. Shaking my head over how stupid he gets.
All in all a fun office romance, but the heroine detracts at times and as I mentioned there is the brain freeze the hero experiences at the end.
One more sad note and
February 2, 2019
Not sure if I have ever read a Mills and Boon. I thought this was fine. Tory meets Lucas and the chemistry is fought all the way along. Tory ends up at a work related bonding weekend where a fellow attendee is injured and they are stuck in storming rain, Lucas comes to save the day. I think these books suit their purpose, although there weren't many racy scenes and this surprised me; maybe that is a myth only. Who doesn't like a HEA? Who knows, I might even read some more of these if they came my way! Not at all badly written, I think I may have broken my own myth.
May 5, 2014
This one really engaged me and I didn't mind the age difference, h is 26, H is 41. I enjoyed the sparks and chemistry between them and the arrival of the heroine's ex didn't seem that contrived to me despite the fact that it should have.
August 15, 2019
The Boss’s Secret Mistress is the 13th romance novel by Alison Fraser. When American Lucas Ryecart takes over the UK publishing firm Tory Lloyd works for, she is completely unprepared for the physical effect he has on her. Trouble is, he seems to know it, and not only that, but Tory has some history with his brother-in-law as well. As Lucas pursues the unwilling Tory, plenty of snappy dialogue and quite a bit of hot sex ensue. This novel has an excellent plot, a feisty heroine, a strong male lead and some unexpected plot twists. This was one of the first Mills and Boon romances I read: it showed me just how enjoyable some of these novels are. They are never going to be capital L Literature, but they are great for a light read in between the heavier stuff. It’s still one of my favourite romance novels! What a pity Alison Fraser has written so few of these.
August 25, 2019
Hands down one of the worst Harlequin novels I've ever read.
I'm not sure if it's because I came to this after having read Dreyer's English, but there were so many things that were horrible about this book, and this was an author I'd liked, once upon a time. Have I grown out of her? It's very possible and it's so sad that I'm growing out of so many authors and gotten so picky and crochety in my old age.
1) Mary Sue. The heroine was a Mary Sue of the highest order. She stands staunchly by and gets misjudged by her the new owner into thinking that she's sleeping with her current alcoholic boss--and she lets the misunderstanding stand. Because it's so important to one's pride to be snarky when accused of having an affair with your boss. She continues to let the misunderstanding stand--over and over again even though she could have handled it sooner but she doesn't because somehow she can't talk whenever she's with the dreamboat of an American H.
She's also tossed into a slew of bitchy girls at a magazine merging team-building exercise and she's the only one who can climb to the top, raft her way across, pretty much do every single event required of them. Also, the only man there from the two magazines starts fancying her. Yawn. Not to mention our Dreamboat, who's also the target of every single female gaze. Even her ex was still in love with her and started to proposition her after he saw her again, and him with three young kids and a pretty awesome wife.
Not to mention she was described as "bright" when she could not come up with a single idea in any business meeting when ideas were called for. Her first three encounters with the hero involved her repeating his words for the first ten minutes. Literally, she keeps on parroting him like this:
H: "So what are you doing today?"
h: "Doing?"
H: "Yes, what are you plans for today?"
h: "Plans?"
H: "Are you going to see Simpson?"
h: (stalling for time) "Simpson?"
H: "Your...BOSS?"
h: "Oh, him. I'm not sure."
How is this exchange--and there were at least three exchanges like this, including their very first meeting--supposed to earn the descriptor of "bright"? I mean, they didn't call her intelligent, which now seems thoroughly appropriate, but now I would even go so far as to say that "bright" is a complete misnomer.
2) Dumb Misunderstandings. It might be because Alison Fraser uses the same exact heroine/hero dynamics in all of her novels, and the conflicts start becoming repetitive and old. In this book, there were tons of really idiotic, formulaic misunderstandings, and then finally, after about 8 chapters of it, the heroine finally drops her sarcasm and actually says she's not having an affair with her boss, it's not believed by the Hero. Well, tbh I can understand his POV. The excess sarcasm isn't winning points for being taken seriously. There are just SO MANY misunderstandings and any one of those could have been cleared up by a frank conversation in which both parties TOLD THE TRUTH without attitude (heroine) and been believed by the other party (hero) and/or finished the conversation instead of a lot of "well, you can believe me or not" and "prove it" and "how do I prove I'm not having an affair with my boss and why should I care if you don't believe me?" and the ultimate "it's my decision to have an affair with my boss if I want to." Just pointless. I can't believe these are actual employed and employering people. I could see actual lawsuits just waiting to happen by witnesses/whistleblowers.
3) Easy to Guess "Mystery." I know that not everyone could see it coming, but seriously I could see almost every step of the outcome a chapter before it did. The breakup with the ex was over her infertility (I guessed this even without the clue of her childhood leukemia). The fact that her ex was going to reappear and proposition her. The fact that the incredibly bitchy magazine editor was going to break down and reveal a "softer" side of her--this one I actually applauded, because otherwise the Mary Sueness of the heroine was starting to verge on misogyny, which is a real thing in romance novels. By that I mean the trope: all the women hate the heroine and are horrible beings and/or vapid losers and/or used to show how the Hero is vastly enamored of the heroine. The fact that she was suddenly going to be pregnant and then try to break up with the hero--through no actual good reason other than his supportive, "I don't want kids if you don't," which she took to be an extreme "HELL NO BRATS EVER." <--really lame misunderstanding no. 10.
4) Awkward POV switches. This isn't the fault of the writer, I don't think. I think this was actually a trend at HP starting in the late 90s and has now morphed into the current full-on male POV. It's vintage but so strange when you think about it. The whole time it's in the girl's head and then suddenly out of nowhere, you'll get two paragraphs that's in his head, and then pop! you're back inside the girl's head. I believe most editors outside of Harlequin frown on this tactic now.
5) Sexual Harassing Hero. I know that as a rule, Harlequin heroes are lewd stalkers, sexual assaulters, rabid exhibitionists, and--are condoms never used in these random encounters? I shudder.
It may be seriously a sign of old age, because I know I used to love such tropes. The boss/employee, teacher/student--well, no, that actually never was a thing I liked. I found that sort of pairing really creepy when young and I find it gag-worthy now. Now that I read such things, I'm afraid that I found the 15 year difference between the heroine and the hero really jarring. It made his advances incredibly unforgivable, in how he kept manipulating the ways of getting her by herself, calling her up so often and having her fear that he was going to talk about "them" rather than the job. There was even a paragraph where she theorized on how men could compartmentalize their life so easily, and that he could switch on and off between coming on to her and talking to her about work. It felt so--gross. The book could have been entitled Sexual Harassment: A Guideline. Even when she acquiesced, it felt very squicky to me because she was giving in because she was tired of fighting it.
I do honestly understand that these are fiction and that no one is trying to promote such situations as being optimal for women. But surely the point of fiction is one in which the author makes you buy the premise and want it to be true, regardless of whether it could work in real life. In that case, this book failed spectacularly for me.
Just to note that this author was working off a checklist that she drafted for all her books:
(1) Sarcastic heroine--to the point where she doesn't care that her reputation is completely damaged just so she can sass back a few pointless phrases.
(2) Big age difference--more than 10 years
(3) Heroine refuses to converse/confront the hero with anything, even if she's angry with him--she prefers to run/hide.
(4) Heroine thinks the worst of hero without any good reason or history to do so and gets mad all by herself and works herself into a rage over it. It later turns out she's wrong, and the reader is not surprised at all.
(5) Outgoing and chatty hero. He chases the heroine and makes clear his interest. She isn't sure that he's interested.
(6) Incredibly oblivious heroine. There's modest, and then there's DUMB. I wish HP authors straddled this line a bit more carefully. Overly fake-modest alone with a poor cast of secondary characters get you a Mary Sue heroine. Being hit over the head with clues as to the hero's interest with the heroine completely, persistently oblivious gets you a DUMB heroine.
Maybe I've outgrown Harlequin. :(
I'm not sure if it's because I came to this after having read Dreyer's English, but there were so many things that were horrible about this book, and this was an author I'd liked, once upon a time. Have I grown out of her? It's very possible and it's so sad that I'm growing out of so many authors and gotten so picky and crochety in my old age.
1) Mary Sue. The heroine was a Mary Sue of the highest order. She stands staunchly by and gets misjudged by her the new owner into thinking that she's sleeping with her current alcoholic boss--and she lets the misunderstanding stand. Because it's so important to one's pride to be snarky when accused of having an affair with your boss. She continues to let the misunderstanding stand--over and over again even though she could have handled it sooner but she doesn't because somehow she can't talk whenever she's with the dreamboat of an American H.
She's also tossed into a slew of bitchy girls at a magazine merging team-building exercise and she's the only one who can climb to the top, raft her way across, pretty much do every single event required of them. Also, the only man there from the two magazines starts fancying her. Yawn. Not to mention our Dreamboat, who's also the target of every single female gaze. Even her ex was still in love with her and started to proposition her after he saw her again, and him with three young kids and a pretty awesome wife.
Not to mention she was described as "bright" when she could not come up with a single idea in any business meeting when ideas were called for. Her first three encounters with the hero involved her repeating his words for the first ten minutes. Literally, she keeps on parroting him like this:
H: "So what are you doing today?"
h: "Doing?"
H: "Yes, what are you plans for today?"
h: "Plans?"
H: "Are you going to see Simpson?"
h: (stalling for time) "Simpson?"
H: "Your...BOSS?"
h: "Oh, him. I'm not sure."
How is this exchange--and there were at least three exchanges like this, including their very first meeting--supposed to earn the descriptor of "bright"? I mean, they didn't call her intelligent, which now seems thoroughly appropriate, but now I would even go so far as to say that "bright" is a complete misnomer.
2) Dumb Misunderstandings. It might be because Alison Fraser uses the same exact heroine/hero dynamics in all of her novels, and the conflicts start becoming repetitive and old. In this book, there were tons of really idiotic, formulaic misunderstandings, and then finally, after about 8 chapters of it, the heroine finally drops her sarcasm and actually says she's not having an affair with her boss, it's not believed by the Hero. Well, tbh I can understand his POV. The excess sarcasm isn't winning points for being taken seriously. There are just SO MANY misunderstandings and any one of those could have been cleared up by a frank conversation in which both parties TOLD THE TRUTH without attitude (heroine) and been believed by the other party (hero) and/or finished the conversation instead of a lot of "well, you can believe me or not" and "prove it" and "how do I prove I'm not having an affair with my boss and why should I care if you don't believe me?" and the ultimate "it's my decision to have an affair with my boss if I want to." Just pointless. I can't believe these are actual employed and employering people. I could see actual lawsuits just waiting to happen by witnesses/whistleblowers.
3) Easy to Guess "Mystery." I know that not everyone could see it coming, but seriously I could see almost every step of the outcome a chapter before it did. The breakup with the ex was over her infertility (I guessed this even without the clue of her childhood leukemia). The fact that her ex was going to reappear and proposition her. The fact that the incredibly bitchy magazine editor was going to break down and reveal a "softer" side of her--this one I actually applauded, because otherwise the Mary Sueness of the heroine was starting to verge on misogyny, which is a real thing in romance novels. By that I mean the trope: all the women hate the heroine and are horrible beings and/or vapid losers and/or used to show how the Hero is vastly enamored of the heroine. The fact that she was suddenly going to be pregnant and then try to break up with the hero--through no actual good reason other than his supportive, "I don't want kids if you don't," which she took to be an extreme "HELL NO BRATS EVER." <--really lame misunderstanding no. 10.
4) Awkward POV switches. This isn't the fault of the writer, I don't think. I think this was actually a trend at HP starting in the late 90s and has now morphed into the current full-on male POV. It's vintage but so strange when you think about it. The whole time it's in the girl's head and then suddenly out of nowhere, you'll get two paragraphs that's in his head, and then pop! you're back inside the girl's head. I believe most editors outside of Harlequin frown on this tactic now.
5) Sexual Harassing Hero. I know that as a rule, Harlequin heroes are lewd stalkers, sexual assaulters, rabid exhibitionists, and--are condoms never used in these random encounters? I shudder.
It may be seriously a sign of old age, because I know I used to love such tropes. The boss/employee, teacher/student--well, no, that actually never was a thing I liked. I found that sort of pairing really creepy when young and I find it gag-worthy now. Now that I read such things, I'm afraid that I found the 15 year difference between the heroine and the hero really jarring. It made his advances incredibly unforgivable, in how he kept manipulating the ways of getting her by herself, calling her up so often and having her fear that he was going to talk about "them" rather than the job. There was even a paragraph where she theorized on how men could compartmentalize their life so easily, and that he could switch on and off between coming on to her and talking to her about work. It felt so--gross. The book could have been entitled Sexual Harassment: A Guideline. Even when she acquiesced, it felt very squicky to me because she was giving in because she was tired of fighting it.
I do honestly understand that these are fiction and that no one is trying to promote such situations as being optimal for women. But surely the point of fiction is one in which the author makes you buy the premise and want it to be true, regardless of whether it could work in real life. In that case, this book failed spectacularly for me.
Just to note that this author was working off a checklist that she drafted for all her books:
(1) Sarcastic heroine--to the point where she doesn't care that her reputation is completely damaged just so she can sass back a few pointless phrases.
(2) Big age difference--more than 10 years
(3) Heroine refuses to converse/confront the hero with anything, even if she's angry with him--she prefers to run/hide.
(4) Heroine thinks the worst of hero without any good reason or history to do so and gets mad all by herself and works herself into a rage over it. It later turns out she's wrong, and the reader is not surprised at all.
(5) Outgoing and chatty hero. He chases the heroine and makes clear his interest. She isn't sure that he's interested.
(6) Incredibly oblivious heroine. There's modest, and then there's DUMB. I wish HP authors straddled this line a bit more carefully. Overly fake-modest alone with a poor cast of secondary characters get you a Mary Sue heroine. Being hit over the head with clues as to the hero's interest with the heroine completely, persistently oblivious gets you a DUMB heroine.
Maybe I've outgrown Harlequin. :(
September 1, 2023
This was ok, if you overlook the iffiness of the boss/subordinate exploitation dynamic which, of course, we all do because it's fiction 🤓
Gorgeous American 41 year old Lucas is taking over the TV/film production company where 26 yr old Victoria (Tory) works. Possibly the only HP to feature an outward bound team building centre. I admire anyone who can get either pleasure or romance out of such a setting so fair play AF.
The h had previously been engaged (5 yrs back) to a man who was the brother of the Hs ex wife, so that was an interesting meander. Less interesting was the h's alcoholic on the brink of divorce immediate boss moving in with her (sofa surfing) as a misunderstanding. Even more eyebrow raising - spoiler ahead - was the h's chemo induced infertility being overcome by magic HP sperm and also the way it was handled in the last pages was...not very romantic. I'd have preferred less of the miracle and more of the acceptance. Infertile people deserve happy endings too. They could have lived a life of energetic anytime sex, good times and carefree luxurious travel without having to wait 25 years for the kids to leave home first😂 As it was, there was plenty of instalust and sexy times. Hope they made the most, there'll be a lot less of that in the coming few years.
Gorgeous American 41 year old Lucas is taking over the TV/film production company where 26 yr old Victoria (Tory) works. Possibly the only HP to feature an outward bound team building centre. I admire anyone who can get either pleasure or romance out of such a setting so fair play AF.
The h had previously been engaged (5 yrs back) to a man who was the brother of the Hs ex wife, so that was an interesting meander. Less interesting was the h's alcoholic on the brink of divorce immediate boss moving in with her (sofa surfing) as a misunderstanding. Even more eyebrow raising - spoiler ahead - was the h's chemo induced infertility being overcome by magic HP sperm and also the way it was handled in the last pages was...not very romantic. I'd have preferred less of the miracle and more of the acceptance. Infertile people deserve happy endings too. They could have lived a life of energetic anytime sex, good times and carefree luxurious travel without having to wait 25 years for the kids to leave home first😂 As it was, there was plenty of instalust and sexy times. Hope they made the most, there'll be a lot less of that in the coming few years.
August 18, 2019
An affair just wasn't on her agenda!
Lucas Ryecart: driven, demanding, dynamic. Impossible to work with, but impossible to ignore!
Tory Lloyd: pretty plucky and puzzled. Lucas, the new CEO of her company, is determined to make her his mistress!
Together they make a great team, in the boardroom and in the bedroom. But Tory knows that it's only a matter of time before Lucas discovers her heartbreaking secret, and surely then he won't want her anymore...? (less)
Lucas Ryecart: driven, demanding, dynamic. Impossible to work with, but impossible to ignore!
Tory Lloyd: pretty plucky and puzzled. Lucas, the new CEO of her company, is determined to make her his mistress!
Together they make a great team, in the boardroom and in the bedroom. But Tory knows that it's only a matter of time before Lucas discovers her heartbreaking secret, and surely then he won't want her anymore...? (less)
Read
February 20, 2024Read first and last two chapters, not for me.
August 30, 2016
Better HP in both writing and character development than some. Still, I am surprised that it was published in 2002 and had a hero behaving as a prime candidate for workplace sexual harassment allegations. I suppose that is the author’s way of showing what an alpha hero the hero was. It just made me cringe.
March 3, 2014
Good story!
June 20, 2023
I liked that Lucas broke up with the OW when he started to pursue the heroine, in HP are a lot of cheater Hs that still sleeping around when they are pursuing the heroine and the nasty pieces of work didn’t know why the heroines wouldn't fall to their sleazy feets. This H is a weak if he lets his pants overrule good sense occasionally, it’s a wimper and a loser in my opinion.
Alex the OM is a BIG FAT CHEATER, how can he say he loved Rita his wife if he were shacking up with his lover. Rita should divorce him and take him to the cleaners. How can he claim that he can’t function without her if he cheat on her. I think he want a slave at home. I don’t know why the heroine took pity on him and helped him if it was me I would kick him out.
And I thought that it was crude on Lucas part when he said that he prefers outdoor sex, certainly he did with his dead wife and with his mistresses. I never liked leftovers, what they do to the heroines are the same that they did to the OWs. Some people may finding it exciting, but if you truly care and love the person you would be possessive and wouldn’t put her in a spot that can be seen by others. I didn’t liked the impact that his sexual power made her limbs jelly since the first time she saw the H and every time after that. It makes not only the Hs think with his pants but the hs with the skirts. It’s disrespectful that the first time he was kissing in the street his hands were over her breast to the plain view of the others most of all in front a child.
I don’t feel that the H was jealous of the heroine but he was possessive or just want exclusivity in all his affairs. That implies that he just is faithful to his current partner and didn’t mean anything besides exclusivity. The same that he applied to his mistresses he applied to the heroine it seems, that not make her look more special than the others.
And I think it’s hypocrite when the H tell that paying a woman to tell how great he is in a bed has never held appeal. Many of the Hs says they don’t pay for sex. So, what should be called if you by jewerly, wardrobes, cars, trips etc to the mistresses/lovers? I say they pay a fortune just to have the pleasure of their bodies. It is cheaper if you hire a hooker and the hooker is more honest. I bet that he gives expensive gifts to his paramours, in my book it is called payment.
I see that he always goes with his girlfriends to his relatives and friends homes, If he does too with the hs, shows that she is not that special. I always hate when the SOB of the Hs sleep with the heroine in the same bed that they slept with his OWs. Or worst that they will live at the same place that he had his affairs. At least this H's OWs have brains with beauties instead of a dumb beauty. Why they always has to have beautiful girlfriends, it makes them shallow if it is the main reason that they want them. But I see that his type although intelligents are a patronizing cows. He complain about hiring a hooker to give him compliments but he have no problems that the patronizing cows gaze him with all adoring eyes and I bet many of them want to be married to him plus the pricey itens that he gave them in return of their charms. And he did lie to the previous bovine tart the reason that he broke up with her. Charlie might still make an impact on her if she didn’t met Lucas. And I feel sorry for Caro. Charlie was a weak wimp. At least he fell in his way with the heroine despite her using glasses and he would have married her he thought she could have child, I believed that he loved her in his selfish ways but not enough.
And the stupid H accused the heroine of wanting to break off the OMs family. I don’t feel his jealousy but like always feel the contempt for the heroine, thinking like always that she is a jezebel to ruin other family lives. And I didn’t believe nor Tory believed when he said he was jealous of Richard.
I didn’t like that the H didn’t cover her when Alex open her bedroom door, it showed that he felt no jealousy and possessiveness towards her , she covered herslef. I did like that she try to have a normal life after the OM, but her last lover was 2 years ago and the sex wasn’t that great, I hate that it’s always the heroes that enjoyed sex with the OWs, that the heroine in the rare occasions that they enjoy are lukewarm at best.
I don’t know why the H is waiting for a year before asking her to marry him, and after 5 to have children when he would be 46 years old, not in his prime, unless that he thought he need to change her mind about marriage and children.
I didn’t like that he thought that the baby wasn’t his. But I liked that in the end, a few moments when he found out that she was pregnant, that he loved her enough to want her and her baby even if he thought that it wasn’t his. And for that I raised my ratings.
Alex the OM is a BIG FAT CHEATER, how can he say he loved Rita his wife if he were shacking up with his lover. Rita should divorce him and take him to the cleaners. How can he claim that he can’t function without her if he cheat on her. I think he want a slave at home. I don’t know why the heroine took pity on him and helped him if it was me I would kick him out.
And I thought that it was crude on Lucas part when he said that he prefers outdoor sex, certainly he did with his dead wife and with his mistresses. I never liked leftovers, what they do to the heroines are the same that they did to the OWs. Some people may finding it exciting, but if you truly care and love the person you would be possessive and wouldn’t put her in a spot that can be seen by others. I didn’t liked the impact that his sexual power made her limbs jelly since the first time she saw the H and every time after that. It makes not only the Hs think with his pants but the hs with the skirts. It’s disrespectful that the first time he was kissing in the street his hands were over her breast to the plain view of the others most of all in front a child.
I don’t feel that the H was jealous of the heroine but he was possessive or just want exclusivity in all his affairs. That implies that he just is faithful to his current partner and didn’t mean anything besides exclusivity. The same that he applied to his mistresses he applied to the heroine it seems, that not make her look more special than the others.
And I think it’s hypocrite when the H tell that paying a woman to tell how great he is in a bed has never held appeal. Many of the Hs says they don’t pay for sex. So, what should be called if you by jewerly, wardrobes, cars, trips etc to the mistresses/lovers? I say they pay a fortune just to have the pleasure of their bodies. It is cheaper if you hire a hooker and the hooker is more honest. I bet that he gives expensive gifts to his paramours, in my book it is called payment.
I see that he always goes with his girlfriends to his relatives and friends homes, If he does too with the hs, shows that she is not that special. I always hate when the SOB of the Hs sleep with the heroine in the same bed that they slept with his OWs. Or worst that they will live at the same place that he had his affairs. At least this H's OWs have brains with beauties instead of a dumb beauty. Why they always has to have beautiful girlfriends, it makes them shallow if it is the main reason that they want them. But I see that his type although intelligents are a patronizing cows. He complain about hiring a hooker to give him compliments but he have no problems that the patronizing cows gaze him with all adoring eyes and I bet many of them want to be married to him plus the pricey itens that he gave them in return of their charms. And he did lie to the previous bovine tart the reason that he broke up with her. Charlie might still make an impact on her if she didn’t met Lucas. And I feel sorry for Caro. Charlie was a weak wimp. At least he fell in his way with the heroine despite her using glasses and he would have married her he thought she could have child, I believed that he loved her in his selfish ways but not enough.
And the stupid H accused the heroine of wanting to break off the OMs family. I don’t feel his jealousy but like always feel the contempt for the heroine, thinking like always that she is a jezebel to ruin other family lives. And I didn’t believe nor Tory believed when he said he was jealous of Richard.
I didn’t like that the H didn’t cover her when Alex open her bedroom door, it showed that he felt no jealousy and possessiveness towards her , she covered herslef. I did like that she try to have a normal life after the OM, but her last lover was 2 years ago and the sex wasn’t that great, I hate that it’s always the heroes that enjoyed sex with the OWs, that the heroine in the rare occasions that they enjoy are lukewarm at best.
I don’t know why the H is waiting for a year before asking her to marry him, and after 5 to have children when he would be 46 years old, not in his prime, unless that he thought he need to change her mind about marriage and children.
I didn’t like that he thought that the baby wasn’t his. But I liked that in the end, a few moments when he found out that she was pregnant, that he loved her enough to want her and her baby even if he thought that it wasn’t his. And for that I raised my ratings.
September 10, 2019
I have a specific attitude for Alison Fraser's romances (see more in my other reviews of her stories). Objectively, I should have probably stopped reading them after the second one (learning what they were). But their plain scheme has something tempting that I like to taste from time to time (especially between serious, sad books).
This one, unfortunately, was one of the worse novels by Fraser I have read. The plot had potential but the making of it a romance from Hplandia was a bad idea.
This one, unfortunately, was one of the worse novels by Fraser I have read. The plot had potential but the making of it a romance from Hplandia was a bad idea.
August 15, 2017
This book had a very jumpy plot: we are here/we are there/go undercover/old fiance...there was no focus. The romance was just there, no reason for it. There was no real conflict, just a misunderstanding by the hero for most of the book. Too short for all the junk shoved it. Keep it clean, keep it cute.
May 8, 2025
El libro fue... meh. No es el mejor que he leído hasta ahora, pero entretiene. Es como ver una peli de Netflix: fácil de digerir y rápida, aunque también muchas veces dan ganas de cerrar el libro y gritarle al protagonista. Es el típico que cree que se hace lo que él diga porque sí. Me exasperó más de una vez. ¿Lo volvería a leer? No, pero entretuvo y reconfirmó como es que NO me gustan que sean los protagonistas jajaja
May 22, 2023
hmmm…
The book has all the right elements or ingredients if you prefer, but something is just missing in the execution. Did not have “feels” that the couple really sparked or meshed.
Was a great plot, a few twists and turns, characters all likeable.
The book has all the right elements or ingredients if you prefer, but something is just missing in the execution. Did not have “feels” that the couple really sparked or meshed.
Was a great plot, a few twists and turns, characters all likeable.
March 19, 2022
There is way too much going on here, and none of it is as well done as it should be. I’ve really enjoyed the other AF books I’ve read so far, this one was just a bit messy.
November 15, 2022
Felt h was a total mess did not enjoy this book as much as I have the author's other books and such a shame since I have only one left to complete all her works.
February 12, 2018
This is an average read.
I don't hate it but its not going to be in the running for book of the year award for me.
I like the romance I think its very sweet and hot but it lacks something, perhaps depth.
This is another classic example of M&B not letting their typical modern romances be longer. It needed an extra 100 pages or so. Just to really give us an impression of Tory and Lucas, instead I'm left feeling a bit confused because its already done but they're amazingly in love and hes happy and wants to marry her when it doesn't feel like 10 pages ago they were still working things out.
With everything being said I'm going to give it a break and say its M&B can't expect too much.
I don't hate it but its not going to be in the running for book of the year award for me.
I like the romance I think its very sweet and hot but it lacks something, perhaps depth.
This is another classic example of M&B not letting their typical modern romances be longer. It needed an extra 100 pages or so. Just to really give us an impression of Tory and Lucas, instead I'm left feeling a bit confused because its already done but they're amazingly in love and hes happy and wants to marry her when it doesn't feel like 10 pages ago they were still working things out.
With everything being said I'm going to give it a break and say its M&B can't expect too much.
March 1, 2014
Pretty good. The storyline about her ex dumping her and being unhappily married to someone else was the best part, but was never resolved.
January 24, 2015
Well done. Review to come.
May 21, 2015
It was an okay read. I enjoyed the witty banter and sparks between Lucas and Tory.
March 27, 2017
Tory Lloyd is a bit prickly, but she's content with her work at her company. Then, her company is taken over by Lucas Ryecart, a confident, swaggering male with a lot of sex appeal. And he seems to zero in on Tory, clearly wanting to sleep with her. But she's not having it. She's doing her best to stay professional and to keep someone so overbearing out of her life. But it's hard to avoid him at work and the man is determined.
This is not a simple story, it's very angsty and there were pros and cons to this. I loved the angst. I love that Tory is doing everything she can to stay away from Lucas, but he's doing everything he can to seduce her and convince her to date him. It's unclear at times whether he just wants to get her in bed or whether he wants more, since we don't get his POV until the 90% mark, but it is clear that he's got an effect on Tory's hormones. Tory held out. I respect that. And she was a complex character - an interesting blend of strong and vulnerable.
I wasn't a huge fan of Lucas, though I do love a guy who falls for his girl first. He was also very patient at times. But only at times. He came right in and started out possessive, before Tory had given the okay. And that possessive attitude was predominant in their interactions, so I totally understood why Tory was hesitant. If I'd been her and dealing with his sexual harassment, I'd have left my job. I also didn't care for their first sexual episode, which was basically angry sex followed by shame and humiliation as Lucas walks out the door, though the way Tory reminisces, it seems she remembers it much differently than I read it. This was actually a short story, but it ended up feeling so incredibly long, not because it dragged but because it felt like the author packed so much stuff and angst in there. I think that's kind of a good thing actually. I was also pleasantly surprised that Luke's dead wife played so little a role in his life and decisions...usually HQN heroes are still pining for their dead wives.
This is not a simple story, it's very angsty and there were pros and cons to this. I loved the angst. I love that Tory is doing everything she can to stay away from Lucas, but he's doing everything he can to seduce her and convince her to date him. It's unclear at times whether he just wants to get her in bed or whether he wants more, since we don't get his POV until the 90% mark, but it is clear that he's got an effect on Tory's hormones. Tory held out. I respect that. And she was a complex character - an interesting blend of strong and vulnerable.
I wasn't a huge fan of Lucas, though I do love a guy who falls for his girl first. He was also very patient at times. But only at times. He came right in and started out possessive, before Tory had given the okay. And that possessive attitude was predominant in their interactions, so I totally understood why Tory was hesitant. If I'd been her and dealing with his sexual harassment, I'd have left my job. I also didn't care for their first sexual episode, which was basically angry sex followed by shame and humiliation as Lucas walks out the door, though the way Tory reminisces, it seems she remembers it much differently than I read it. This was actually a short story, but it ended up feeling so incredibly long, not because it dragged but because it felt like the author packed so much stuff and angst in there. I think that's kind of a good thing actually. I was also pleasantly surprised that Luke's dead wife played so little a role in his life and decisions...usually HQN heroes are still pining for their dead wives.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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